Work Text:
Matteo wanted to comfort Dave so much, every night he saw his friend (were they friends, god he wished they were friends) troubled by his own brain, his body was screaming exhaustion through every pore. Mattteo saw himself on Dave, he had to go deal with the nightmares that come with war on his own, it wasn't a nice experience. If he were able to reach out to the smaller one, maybe he could hold him, ground him. They weren't that close, Mat didn't want to make the sleepy one more uncomfortable.
This night was like all the other that had passed before, Matteo got at work on time and knowing that Dave often arrived late (it wasn't the insomniac's fault, he dosed off a lot, but tried his best to make it up for it). He started organizing the space: putting the not so worn out chair to Dave, the guy needed all the comfort he could get; allocating all the knickknacks and pens away from the main table, they didn't need more mishappenings; checking and stocking the first aid supply closet.
When Dave finally arrived, he held an ashamed look on his faced that quickly transformed into an apologetic one. Pleasantries were exchanged, and both men started their work night. The sounds on the office were few, the computer soft noises, the fan swirling, pages being folded and Dave's deep breathing; all of them became a calming background in the last weeks working there, something the ex-militar could appreciate a lot. After an hour, time was always hard to keep track of, some ragged breaths were heard. Trying not to alert the shorter guy, Matteo snuck a glance: Dave wasn't asleep yet (a shame, the guy really needed it), he was unconsciously massaging his chest staring at nothing, his face was distorted with pain. Felling observed he looked up and quickly away, again with that ashamed look.
"You know'" Matteo started, his voice uncertain after such a long silence "We do have ibuprofen here… if you need it". Dave glanced at the first aid closet and then focused at the opposite wall.
"Oh…thanks" embarrassment still sipping through his voice "I'm… it's nothing, really" With the last line he tried to keep a reassuring look, he really tried, but the bright lights hurt a lot more then normal that night and he had to look back down.
The ex-militar wouldn't take this so dismissively, he knew Dave, although they didn't talk much, and he also knew how himself was in the early years. The younger one just wasn't prepared to ask for help, did he know he could ask for it? Matteo wished with all his being that Dave knew it. Gosh even him didn't believe it in when he was going through it all. And he wished for the unbeknownst time they weren't so similar, at least in this aspect.
Matteo without a prompt got up, poured a hot cup of the office coffee with two generous spoons of sugar, ibuprofen and turned off the main lights, letting the monitors and the small desk lamp illuminating the room. Placing the cup in front of the smaller man, he reached his hand to hand Dave the medicine, hopping to convey the amount he cared for him. Dave gave a brief smile still not able to hold eye contact, extending his hand with a lot of care to not touch the others (He wasn't as subtle as he thought it) . His smile returned while drinking the hot drink "Thanks man, you really didn't need to".
Going back to the comfortable silence, Matteo was more focused in keeping an eye on his friend then solving his crosswords, he knew the guy wouldn't ask for help even if he was having a stroke, probably would also apologize for it.
Dave was - trying to- watch the monitors, his eyelids were heavy and head was feel with cotton. The room was mostly dark saved by a small desk lamp showering the office with a warm light. It made staying awake so hard, but it was better then the bright light throwing needles into his face.
Fifteen minutes was how long Dave was asleep for, his head laid on top of the table, and a second uniform coat was over his shoulders. Matteo now divided his attention between the monitors, his crosswords and Dave's peaceful face. The warm tones in contrast with the blue light from the monitors made him look like a painting. When he looked back to the clock five more minutes had passed.
At the thirty minutes mark, Dave started breathing more heavily, his face was contracting in distress. Matteo could wake the guy up, but his friend had just got asleep and he was so very skittish with touch, the taller man didn't want to scare him. So he just kept looking over him.
At forty minutes Dave was mumbling something about elephants and whales. In the next second he was on the floor. Matteo wasn't fast enough to break the fall.
Dave was looking frantically around, breathing too quickly. Matteo knew the felling and following more his body then his mind he finally decided to comfort Dave. First touching Dave's arms just so the smaller man knew he was there, when there was no signal of rejection Matteo went for a bear hug keeping just enough pressure to ground him, and leaving some space so it wouldn't be claustrophobic.
"Dave… Dave, you're at the office right now" keeping his voice low and gentle "You are safe now". The smaller man didn't respond, his breathing still fast and shallow. "Hey go slower, we're okay' Breathing more audibly he instructed "now in, hold a bit, and then out. In… and out, you're doing great man". They kept the rhythm until Dave was calmer.
The smaller one was red on the face, focusing his look on the floor tiles. Matteo didn't want to make him more uncomfortable but also didn't want to let go of him. In the end his brain won and he started retrieving his arms. A hand hold his arm in place, Dave still kept his eyes on the floor, still blushing with shame.
"I'm sorry" Both started "Coul..could you keep.." Dave squished the others arm pulling it closer. "…yes" The taller man was happy to oblige. They stayed like that embraced and enjoying each others warmth for a bit more,Dave's head on top of Matteo's heart. When Matteo got more confident with Dave's relaxing in his embrace, he decided to start petting the brunet's hair and then his perfect cozy bubble was popped.
He felt a warm and sticky liquid on his hand. Iron flood his senses. Dave was bleeding and it was his fault, he should've waken him up, like the guy has always asked. He should have know that something like that could happen. His friend was hurt and was his fault.
Without a word the ex-militar went, for the third time, to the supply closet and took some bandages and antiseptic spray. If before he was trying to show care now he was showing his remorse. Dave was torn between following him or looking to the floor.
"Could you look forward for a bit?" And with that Matteo started cleaning the gash "I'm sorry, I know you asked to be waken up…I hope it doesn't hurt that much" He blurted out
"I am sorry, I … it's okay man, really. And thanks… not only for patching me up" Dave lowered his gaze "I didn't even felt it" he added as an after thought.
After bandaging the cut, the ex-militar cleaned the supplies and helped Dave getting up, this time Dave accepted his hand. "Could you keep me, hum… can I help you with the crosswords?" Dave gave a small smile.
The rest of the night they spent finishing the puzzle. Dave was too tired to really help out, but Matteo found that the obviously wrong guesses helped him to find the right answers.